Wireless signaling system.



W. G. WHITE.

WIRELESSSIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPL|cAT|oN FILED MAR.2.1915.

1 ,273,789. Patented July 23, 1918.

Witnesses: InVentQr:

- HisAttorr-weg.-

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. WHITE, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK. ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

WIRELESS SIGNALING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1918.

Application led March 2, 1915. Serial No. 11,478.

To 11H :l2/1.0m. t may concern le it known that I, WILLIAM C. VVurrE,A

a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wireless Signaling Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to signaling systems, and more especially to means for controlling the transmission of Wireless signals.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved means for modulating or vary-v ing the amplitude of continuous electrical waves, and especially for varying the amplitude of such waves in accordance with variations in sound waves.

In carrying my invention into effect I prefer to employ an electron discharge device for producing continuous electrical waves in an antenna. The amplitude of the further objects and advantages will best be` understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which I have illustrated diagrammatically the preferred embodiment of my invention.

As here indicated the means for producing continuous waves in the antenna 1 comprises an electron discharge device 2 consisting of a highly evacuated envelop hav ing thereina cathode 3 of filamentary form provided with a source of energy 4 for heating it to incandescence, an anode 5 and a conducting body 6, which is preferably in the form of a grid interposed betweenthe cathode and anode.

and 7 which in turn are connected to a. source of direct current of the deslred The cathode and anode are connected respectively to conductors 8 coupling between 9 and 10 is preferably close while that between 9 and 11 may in some cases be made very loose. The inductance 11 is preferably shunted by a variable condenser 12 and a battery 13 may be employed for adjusting the normal potential of the grid 6 to a value which is most suitable for the efficient operation of thedevice. The circuit consisting of the direct current source of supply, the in ductance 9, the cathode 3 and anode 5, for convenience of description, I designate as the plate circuit.. The circuit which comprises the grid 6, the inductance 11 and the cathode 3 I designate the grid circuit. With the arrangement described, when current starts to fiow in the plate circuit a potential is induced in the coil 11 which varies the potential of the controlling grid 6.- This change in the grid potential in turn produces a variation in the current in the plate circuit. When the potential induced in the grid circuit causes the grid to become more negative the current flowing in the plate circuit is decreased while an induced potential which makesrthe grid more ositive increases the current fiow in the plate circuit. These variations in the current` in the plate circuit produce an yalternating current in the antenna and by varying the natural frequency of the grid circuit by varying the condenser 12 the frequency of the alternating current thus produced may be varied at will. It will of course be understood thatl for the most efficient results the frequency ,of the current so produced should be sub- 'grid circuit. In order to utilize such waves for transmission of wireless signals it is necessary to either interrupt their continuity or vary their amplitude Without interrupting their continuity. If` it' is desired t0 transmit sound waves the amplitude of the continuous waves may be varied in accordance with the variations in the sound Waves which it is desired to transmit. In order to vary the amplitude of these continuous Waves in accordance with variations in sound Waves I employ a second electron discharge device 13', the cathode 14 and the anode 15 of which are connected respectivel to the cathode 3 and the grid 6 of the rst device. The battery 4 which serves to heat the cathode 3 to incandescence may also be employed for heating the cathode 14. The circuit of the controlling grid 16 of this second device includes the secondary 17 of a transformer, the circuit of the primary 18 of which includes the telephone transmitter 19 and local battery 20. A battery 21 may also be inserted in the grid circuit of this second device to adjust the normal potential of the controlling grid to the desired value.

In the system I have described very little current'will flow in the grid circuit of the first electron discharge device. As long as the second device is not connected to the grid circuit of the first device this grid circuit Will oscillate freely and the oscillations therein Will have a substantially constant amplitude. As soon however as the second device 13 is connected to the grid circuit of the first device and current is allowed to flow through the second device, energy will be diverted from the grid circuit of the first device and the osclllations set up therein will be heavily damped, the amount of the damping of the oscillations of course depending upon the amount of energy Withdrawn from the grid circuit. The amount of energy thus Withdrawn will vary in accordance with the variations in the potential ofthe .controlling grid 16 Which variations may be produced by the action of sound Waves in the telephone transmitter 19. Hence it will be seen that in the system I have described the amplitude of the electrical Waves produced in the antenna 1 Will vary in accordance with the variations in4 sound. Waves actingV upon the telephone transmitter 19.

When the electron discharge device 13 is yconnected as described across the grid cirarticulation of the speech Waves vtransmitted will be impaired. In order toprevent such an impairment in the articulation it may be va condenser 23 in shunt across the supply conductors 7 and 8 in order that the high frequency component of the current in the plate circuit of the device 2 will not be required to pass through the supply source.

While the system which I have illustrated and described is the preferred embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to this specific arrangement as it Will be apparent to one skilled in the art that many variations therein maybe made without departing from the scope of the appended claims. I,

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

1. The combination in a Wireless signaling system of an antenna, means comprising an electron discharge device having a cathode, an anode and a controlling grid for producing oscillations in said antenna and a second electron discharge device directly connected to the grid circuit of the firstelectron discharge device 'and supplied With energy therefrom to control the amplitude and frequency of the oscillations set up in said antenna.

2. The combination in awireless signaling systemof an antenna, an elect-ron discharge device comprising a cathode, an anod^ and a controlling grid operatively related to said antenna and arranged to produce continuous electrical Waves therein, a second electron discharge device connected'to the grid circuit of the first device to divert energy therefrom and means for varying the amount of energy thus diverted.

3. The combination in a Wireless signaling system of an antenna, an electron discharge device comprising a cathode, an anode and a controlling grid operatively related to said antenna and arranged to produce continuous electrical Waves therein, a second electron discharge device having a cathode, an anode and a controlling grid, the cathode and anode of the second device being connected respectively to the cathode and grid of the first device and means for varying the potential of the grid in the second device.

4. The combination in a Wireless signaling System of an antenna, an electron discharge device having a cathode, an anode, and a Vcontrolling grid, the plate circuit of said electron discharge device being inductively related to said antenna, a source of energy a controlling grid, operatively related to' said antenna and arranged 'to produce continuous electrical Waves f therein, a second electron discharge device similar to the first connected to the grid circuit of the first in such a way as to divert 'energytherefrom' and means for varying the potential of the controlling grid in said second device.

6. The combination in a Wireless telephone system of an antenna,` an electron discharge device, comprising a cathode, an anode and a controlling grid, operatively related: to said antenna and arranged to produce continuous electrical Waves therein, a second electron discharge device similarto the'irst'j connected to the grid circuit of the. vfirstS-in such a Way as to divert energy therefrom and means comprising a telephone transmitterfor varying the potential ofthe controlling grid in said second device.

7. The combinationin -a Wireless signaling system of an antenna, an electron discharge device comprising a cathode, an anodeV and acontrolling grid operatively related to said antenna and arranged to produce continuous electrical Waves therein and means connected to the grid circuit of said device in such a ,way as to divert energy therefrom and to'simultaneously vary the amplitude and frequency of the Waves .thus-H produced. A

8. The combination in a Wireless signaling system of an antenna, an electron Adischarge devicev comprising'a cathode, an an fode and a controlling grid operativelyre-A lated to .said antenna. andarranged to. pro.,-

duce continuous electrical Waves therein, .a

second electron discharge deviceconnected to the grid circuit` lof the first device to' divert .energy therefrom, and means vfor varying theamount' of energy thus diverted in accordance withfthe variations in sound waves.

9. The combination ina wireles signaling system of an antenna, an electron-discharge device comprising a cathode, an anode and a controlling grid for producing continuous electrical Waves in said antenna, a second electron discharge device similar to the first and'having its cathode and anode connected respectively to the cathode and grid ofthe first device, and means for varying the potential of the grid in the second device in accordance with the variations in sound waves.-

10. The combination in a Wireless signaling system of an antenna, an electron discharge device comprising a cathode, an anode and a. controlling grid operatively related to said antenna and arranged to produce continuous electrical Waves therein, and means connected to the gridcircu-it of said device to divert a variable amount of energy therefrom 'and thereby vary the amplitude of the Waves thus produced 'in accordance With the variations in sound Waves.

11. The method-of Wireless signaling by means of a system in Whichcontinuous electrical Waves are produced in an antenna by an electron discharge ,device comprising a.

able amount of energy from the grid circuit of the "electron discharger device in accordance with signals to be transmitted.

v 12. Themethod of Wireless signaling by means of. a system in Which continuous electrical-,Waves are produced man antenna by an electron discharge device comprising a .cathode, an anode and a controlling grid,

which consists in controlling lthe amplitude and frequency of the Waves thus produced bydiverting energy from the grid circuit of with signals to be transmitted.

13. The method of Wireless signaling by `means of a system in which continuous electrical Waves are produced in an antenna by cathode, an anode and a controlling grid, f' Whlch consistsin varying the amplitude of' -thevvaves thus produced by diverting a vari- -the velectron discharge device inaccordance means of an electron discharge device comprising a cathode, an anode and a controlling grid, Which consists in diverting energy from the grid circuit of the electron discharge device, and varying the amount of energy thus diverted in accordance with varlatlons 1n sound- Waves.

14. The method of transmitting signals in "ga systemcomprising two electronv discharge `devices each havmg a cathode, an anode and a controlling grid, and in which one of jthe lelectron discharge devices 4is utilized 'for producing continuous 'electrical waves, which consists in diverting energy from the grid circuit/.of ,the electron discharge device which'f produces the continuous electrical Waves, to the plate circuit of the other defvice, varying the amount of energy diverted by varylng the potential of the grid of the second device in accordance With the signals 'to be ltransmitted and thereby -producing a corresponding variation in the amplitude of the Wavesl produced by the'frst device.

v 15.' The method of modulating continuous electrical Waves produced by means of an 'electron dischargedevice comprising a cathode, an anode and a controlling gridvwhich tinuous electrical Waves vvill be produced consists in diverting energy from the grid therein, means 'for diverting energy from circuit of the electron discharge device and the grid circuit and means for varying the varying the amount of energy thus diverted amount of energy diverted in accordance with 15 A 5 in accordance with variations in a modulatvariations in a modulating current.

ing current. In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set 16. Means for producing modulated conmy hand this 1st day of March, 1915. tinuous electrical Waves comprising an elec- WILLIAM C. WHITE. v tron discharge device having a cathode, an Witnesses:

.10 anode, and a controlling grid, plate and grid EDWARD F. HENNELLY,

circuits for said device so arranged that con- HELEN OXFORD. 

